Tom McKibbin insists Rory McIlroy was wrong about LIV Golf after another huge windfall

Tom McKibbin has no regrets about ignoring Rory McIlroy's advice after his first year on the LIV Golf tour. McKibbin won the team Championship alongside Jon Rahm's Legion XIII in Michigan on Sunday.

The Belfast golfer defied McIlroy's advice to accept his PGA Tour card last November and instead joined the Saudi-backed circuit in January. McIlroy encouraged McKibbin to take up the opportunity to join the PGA, believing that choosing LIV and sacrificing his place at the majors was not worthwhile.

"I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand [in] your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself," McIlroy said as he recalled their conversations in January. "But at the same time, I feel like he's giving up a lot to not really benefit that much."

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However, McKibbin will feel justified after helping his team force a play-off during Sunday's season finale against Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers. Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton subsequently defeated DeChambeau and Paul Casey on the second play-off hole to secure the championship and the $14 million top prize.

Following last season's format, 60 per cent of the prize money returns to the team while the remaining 40 per cent is divided amongst the four players - meaning McKibbin will collect £1.04million ($1.4m) alongside Rahm, Hatton and Caleb Surratt. Having already earned £6.3m from his time on tour, as reported by Belfast Live, McKibbin's season earnings are around £7.3m.

"It's been an incredible year," McKibbin said. "Getting to spend it with these three guys has been incredible. I've learned so much. Just being around them has been really good.

"The whole year's been special and today was a really cool day to sort of go out there. You're out there on your own, but you're playing for three other guys. For us to come out on top first year is really cool."

McKibbin, 22, wrapped up his debut campaign in 20th place in the LIV individual rankings, outperforming teammates Surratt and Hatton, and has secured his spot in the 'lock zone' guaranteeing another year with the tour. However, McIlroy was clear that he felt joining LIV could hamper McKibbin's career.

"I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he's got a ton of potential," McIlroy explained. "I said to him, if I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you're thinking of making. I think working so hard to get your [PGA] Tour card in the States, something that he did, to achieve that goal last year was a big achievement.

"What he potentially is sacrificing and giving up with access to majors, potential Ryder Cup spot, depending on how he would play…if I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn't make that decision."

A few months on from McIlroy's warning, McKibbin has insisted that teaming up with Rahm and Hatton this season has helped elevate his performance. Legion XIII claimed five team victories throughout the year and Rahm also secured the individual crown.

"I think getting to spend time with Jon and Tyrrell, I've definitely learned a lot from them," McKibbin added. "And then I think getting paired with some of the other guys and stuff throughout the tournaments, people that you've watched on TV or grew up watching, I'm getting to learn from them.

"I think some of the golf courses as well were a little bit trickier than what I'd been used to, so sort of getting used to those and developing my game through that. So I think a lot of small things that add up to quite a big sort of difference."